Exhibit 10.128
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HAS BEEN SEPARATELY FILED WITH THE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO RULE
24b-2 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED, AND IS
DENOTED HEREIN BY *****
MANAGEMENT SERVICES
AGREEMENT
MANAGEMENT SERVICES AGREEMENT (this
“Agreement”), made and entered into this 3rd day of
February, 2009, by and between Charles & Colvard, Ltd.
(“C&C”), a North Carolina corporation, and Bird
Capital Group, Inc. (“BCG”), a Nevada
corporation.
1. Services to be Provided .
BCG agrees to provide to C&C management services intended to
initiate and lead a turnaround of C&C’s business,
including the services of BCG personnel resources, whether as BCG
employees or as consultants or as other third party resources, any
and all of which will be provided by BCG at its cost (other than
the costs, expenses, Monthly Management Fees (hereinafter defined),
bonuses and other remuneration which C&C is obligated to pay
BCG or Bird pursuant to the terms of this Agreement) and as BCG, in
its sole and absolute discretion, may deem appropriate, but
specifically including the management services of Richard A. Bird
(“Bird”) to serve as non-employee CEO of C&C on a
full-time basis during the term of this Agreement.
Bird’s duties as non-employee
CEO of C&C will include all the normal CEO executive duties,
including without limitation those set forth in C&C’s
bylaws and corporate governance policies, and providing leadership
to C&C’s employees and to all aspects of C&C’s
business, developing appropriate operational improvements to
improve growth and profitability of C&C’s business,
implementing appropriate sound management procedures and practices,
reporting to C&C’s Board of Directors (the
“Board”) regularly, and providing other services as
reasonably requested by the Board that are customarily provided by
a CEO, including without limitation the execution and filing of all
documents and certifications required to be signed by
C&C’s CEO or principal executive officer under all
applicable securities laws and regulations.
Subject to any direction to the
contrary from the Board, C&C agrees that, during any term of
this Agreement, only Bird as non-employee CEO will be empowered by
C&C to enter into contracts on behalf of C&C, which C&C
shall assure by suitable affirmative disempowerment of any other
officers of C&C. Bird may from time to time authorize other
officers of C&C to enter into contracts on behalf of
C&C.
On or before April 15, 2009,
BCG (in collaboration with consulting resources in the areas of
international business, global marketing and other areas as deemed
appropriate by BCG and as engaged by BCG in its sole and absolute
discretion and paid for by BCG) will provide C&C with a written
report setting forth a detailed and specific strategy for growth
and competitive success to be the basis for structuring and
aligning C&C’s worldwide positioning, marketing,
organization and actions. Such strategy shall address the issues
set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein by
reference and such other issues as BCG may deem appropriate.
Subject to the approval of the Board, Bird as non-employee CEO
shall implement the elements of the strategy as approved and
adopted by the Board and manage C&C to achieve the goals to be
accomplished thereby.
BCG shall endeavor to direct the
services it provides toward the goals of increased sales for
C&C, reduced operational costs for C&C, improved marketing
of C&C’s products, and increased shareholder value for
C&C’s shareholders.
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BY *****
2. Monthly Management Fee .
C&C agrees to pay to BCG in cash a monthly fee (the
“Monthly Management Fee”) in advance on the first day
of each month during the term of this Agreement. The initial
Monthly Management Fee for the remainder of calendar year 2009
beginning on February 1, 2009 shall be $75,000.00. Beginning
January 1, 2010 and on January 1 in each succeeding year
of the term hereof, the Monthly Management Fee shall be adjusted as
hereinafter set forth. If four percent (4%) of C&C’s
annual net sales (the “4% Sales”) for any calendar year
(or, with respect to the first and last years of the term of this
Agreement, the portion of such calendar year) during the term of
this Agreement, shall exceed the aggregate Monthly Management Fees
paid hereunder with respect to such calendar year (or portion
thereof), C&C will immediately pay to BCG in cash the amount by
which such 4% Sales exceeds such aggregate Monthly Management Fees
paid with respect to such calendar year (or portion thereof). For
each successive calendar year of the term hereof beginning
January 1, 2010, the Monthly Management Fee shall be adjusted
to the greater of (i) one-twelfth of the 4% Sales for the
prior calendar year (or prorated portion thereof), or
(ii) $75,000.00, as adjusted upward (but never downward) by
any percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban
Consumers in the Raleigh, North Carolina metropolitan area, as
published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department
of Commerce (the “Index”), as of December of the prior
calendar year over the Index for December in the calendar year
immediately preceding such prior year. If the Monthly Management
Fees paid during any calendar year (or, with respect to the first
and last years of the term of this Agreement, the portion of such
calendar year during the term of this Agreement) shall exceed both
(A) the 4% Sales for such calendar year (or portion thereof)
and (B) $900,000.00 (or, with respect to a partial calendar
year, a pro rata portion thereof), as adjusted annually by the
Index as set forth herein, then any such excess by which the
Monthly Management Fees paid during such calendar year (or, with
respect to the first and last years of the term of this Agreement,
the portion of such calendar year during the term of this
Agreement) shall exceed the greater of (A) or (B) above
for such calendar year (or portion thereof) shall be deducted from
the next installments of the Monthly Management Fees payable
hereunder or any other amounts otherwise payable hereunder and, in
any event, any amount thereof which has not been repaid by BCG to
C&C as indicated in this sentence shall be paid in full by BCG
to C&C upon the termination of this Agreement. For purposes
hereof, “annual net sales” shall be determined by
reference to C&C’s audited financial statements for the
applicable calendar year (or, for any partial year, by reference to
C&C’s financial statements for such partial year). Annual
net sales for any partial year shall mean the net sales determined
in accordance herewith for the actual portion of the year which has
expired.
Bird shall be reimbursed promptly by
C&C for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses that are incurred
by Bird in performing his duties as non-employee CEO under this
Agreement, including, without limitation, his reasonable travel
expenses, such expenses to be reimbursed in accordance with
C&C’s travel and expense reimbursement policy as approved
by the Board. In no event shall such expenses exceed $90,000.00 in
any calendar year, prorated for any partial year, without the prior
written approval of the Board. The out-of-pocket expenses of all
other employees and consultants of BCG shall be paid by
BCG.
Notwithstanding the foregoing
provisions of this Section 2, the Monthly Management Fee shall
be $175,000.00 per month for the first two months of the term of
this Agreement to compensate BCG for additional market assessment
services and strategy formulation work.
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3. Short-term bonuses (first 12
months) . In addition to the Monthly Management Fees to which
BCG is entitled under Section 2, C&C agrees to pay to BCG
the following two short-term bonuses:
(a) a one-time bonus equal to ten
percent (10%) of any realized gross profit (i.e., the
difference between net sales from the sale of finished goods
inventory and the cost value of such inventory) which C&C
collects in cash from the reduction, through net sales, of
C&C’s gross finished goods inventory (prior to any
accounting reserves and including finished goods inventory on
consignment) on C&C’s balance sheet on January 31,
2010, below C&C’s gross finished goods inventory (prior
to any accounting reserves and including finished goods inventory
on consignment) on C&C’s balance sheet on
January 31, 2009. For purposes of this calculation,
(i) in determining the “gross profit” on any sales
of gross finished goods inventory, the “cost value” of
such inventory shall mean the cost of goods sold related to such
inventory determined in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles plus any applicable co-op advertising
allowances and/or marketing costs or expenses directly related to
the sale of such inventory and (ii) any and all effects of any
action by C&C to purchase (or accept return of) moissanite
jewels and jewelry from Reeves Park during the period from
January 31, 2009 through January 31, 2010 shall be
excluded from the calculation. The amount of this bonus, if any,
will be calculated and paid in cash promptly after the later of
(x) the date C&C files with the Securities and Exchange
Commission its Form 10-K for the calendar year ending
December 31, 2009 or (y) the date C&C finalizes its
unaudited financial statements for the month of January, 2010;
provided, however, that any such bonus shall be paid only on, as
and when the applicable inventory net sales on which such bonus is
payable are received by C&C in cash. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if the gross finished goods inventory on
January 31, 2010 is lower than the gross finished goods
inventory on January 31, 2009 due, in whole or in part, to a
Sale Transaction (as defined in Section 4(b)), then for
purposes of calculating any bonus under this Section 3(a), the
portion of the proceeds received in such Sale Transaction which are
allocated to the purchase price for the finished goods inventory
shall be included in such calculation and the balance of such
proceeds shall be used for purposes of determining any Termination
Bonus under Section 4(b). For the avoidance of any doubt, no
bonus will be earned hereunder unless, as a result of net sales,
C&C’s gross finished goods inventory on January 31,
2010 is less than C&C’s gross finished goods inventory on
January 31, 2009. An example of the computation of this bonus
(using hypothetical numbers) is set forth on Exhibit B attached
hereto and incorporated herein by this reference, and
(b) a ***** bonus equal to *****
which C&C receives from *****.
4. Long-term bonuses . In
addition to the Monthly Management Fees to which BCG is entitled
under Section 2 and the short-term bonuses to which BCG is
entitled under Section 3, C&C agrees to pay to BCG the
following long-term bonuses:
(a) a bonus equal to twenty percent
(20%) of C&C’s Adjusted Operating Income
(hereinafter defined) during the term of this Agreement, any such
bonus to be paid to BCG by C&C in cash either (A) as
payable annually for each calendar year during the term of this
Agreement (but beginning with the shortened eleven month period of
calendar year 2009 from February 1, 2009 through
December 31, 2009) within thirty (30) days after the
calculation of C&C’s annual Adjusted Operating Income for
the calendar year in question or the shortened
3
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BY *****
eleven-month period of calendar year 2009 (which
calculation shall be made by reference to C&C’s audited
financial statements for the applicable year) or (B) as
payable, upon any termination of this Agreement, for any applicable
partial year period for the year in which such termination occurs
and to be paid to BCG by C&C within the time period stated
herein for payment of any bonuses due to BCG upon any such
termination and as calculated for the portion of the partial-year
period from January 1 of such year of any such termination (or
February 1, 2009 in the case of any such termination occurring
in 2009) through the date of any such termination. For purposes of
this Agreement, “Adjusted Operating Income” shall mean
C&C’s operating income before or excluding (as
applicable) the following: (i) interest, income taxes,
depreciation and amortization; (ii) any charges or accruals
for any potential bonuses payable to BCG under this
Section 4(a); (iii) any charges or accruals for any
potential bonus payable to BCG under Section 4(b);
(iv) any writedowns resulting from business conducted by
Reeves Park, Inc. or C&C with J.C. Penney prior to
February 1, 2009; (v) any financial impact/effect
resulting from the settlement agreement with Reeves Park, Inc.
dated January 15, 2009; (vi) any proceeds or recovery
from, or legal costs related to, the Korean patent lawsuit and any
class-action lawsuit or any lawsuit arising with respect to matters
or occurrences prior to February 1, 2009;
(vii) termination costs of any current C&C employees (such
exclusion of such termination costs not to exceed a total of
$1,000,000 including all associated severance, benefits, and legal
costs); and (viii) any effect of income tax refunds due and
payable to C&C applicable to tax years prior to 2009;
and
(b) a one-time bonus (the
“Termination Bonus”) equal to twenty percent
(20%) of the amount by which (i) C&C’s total
market valuation on the earlier to occur of (A) the closing
date of a sale or transfer (in one transaction or a series of
related transactions) of all or substantially all of the assets or
capital stock of C&C, whether such sale or transfer is effected
through a sale, merger, combination or consolidation, or otherwise
(collectively, a “Sale Transaction”), or (B) the
date that this Agreement is terminated, exceeds
(ii) C&C’s total market valuation at the closing
market price on the last trading day prior to the date of this
Agreement, which is $5,683,582.16 ($.31/share on 18,334,136
shares). If the Sale Transaction is a sale of all or substantially
all of the assets of C&C, the “total market
valuation” on the closing date of the Sale Transaction shall
be equal to C&C’s net after tax proceeds, or net after
tax total economic consideration received, from such sale,
including in such proceeds the economic equivalent of any non-cash
consideration received by C&C and the net present value
economic equivalent of any deferred future income streams or
payments accruing to C&C from such sale. In the event the Sale
Transaction is a merger or stock purchase, the “total market
valuation” of C&C shall be the total acquisition value of
C&C paid at closing by the buyer or other merger party. In all
other instances, so long as C&C’s common stock is then
publicly traded on a national stock exchange or an automated
quotation system, “total market valuation” shall be
determined by multiplying (x) the average closing market price
of a share of C&C’s common stock on the days on which a
sale of the stock occurred within the last thirty (30) days
prior to the date in question (as reported on the national stock
exchange or automated quotation system on which C&C’s
common stock so trades) by (y) the fully-diluted total
outstanding number of shares of C&C’s common stock on the
date in question (with the fully diluted total outstanding shares
including only “in the money” options, warrants or
similar securities exercisable for or convertible into C&C
common stock), and, if the common stock is not publicly traded and
the parties are not able to agree upon the total market valuation,
each of BCG and C&C shall select an appraiser, the two
appraisers so selected shall select a third appraiser, and the
three appraisers shall determine the total market
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BY *****
valuation of C&C. If the three appraisers
are unable to agree upon a valuation, the average of their
appraised values shall be used. The appraisers shall be impartial
and independent and have experience in the valuation of similar
companies. Any such bonus shall be paid in cash on the closing date
of any Sale Transaction or within thirty (30) days of the date
of any termination of this Agreement, as applicable; provided,
however that if this Agreement is terminated pursuant to
Section 6 (i.e., a “Death or Incapacitation
Termination”), then such bonus shall be paid in cash within
sixty (60) days of such Death or Incapacitation Termination.
This Agreement shall be deemed to be terminated upon the payment of
the Termination Bonus if not previously terminated by any other
provision hereof.
5. Term and Nonperformance
Termination . The initial term of this Agreement shall begin on
the date of this Agreement and end on December 31, 2010, after
which this Agreement will renew automatically annually for three
successive one-year terms (“Extended Term or Terms”),
except that C&C shall have the option to terminate this
Agreement (a “Nonperformance Termination”) at any time
within thirty (30) days after receipt of the year-end audited
financial statements for C&C for the calendar years 2010, 2011
or 2012 if and only if both C&C’s (i) annual sales
(“Annual Sales”), and (ii) Adjusted Operating
Income are less than the following numbers for the applicable
calendar year:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Annual Sales
($Million)
|
|
Adjusted
Operating Income
($Million)
|
|
2010
|
|
22.0
|
|
0.50
|
|
2011
|
|
26.6
|
|
1.0
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|
2012
|
|
32.0
|
|
1.5
|
If C&C, as determined by a vote
of the Board, exercises its conditional option to terminate this
Agreement as above, then C&C shall pay to BCG, in cash within
thirty (30) days of any such Nonperformance Termination, all
moneys and bonuses due to BCG under this Agreement valued as of the
date of such Nonperformance Termination.
Notwithstanding any provision in
this Agreement to the contrary, C&C shall have the right to
terminate this Agreement at any time “for cause” (a
“Defined For Cause Termination”) only upon the
occurrence of any of the following:
(i) BCG or Bird shall fail to comply
with this Agreement in any material respect, or to follow any
reasonable directive of the Board as specifically related to
Bird’s duties as non-employee CEO, and shall thereafter fail
to cure such failure within thirty (30) days after having
received written notice thereof, which written notice shall specify
in reasonable detail such failure as well as the steps required by
C&C to be taken by BCG or Bird as applicable to cure such
failure;
(ii) BCG or Bird shall be grossly
negligent in the exercise of any duties hereunder, and shall
thereafter fail to cure such gross negligence within thirty
(30) days after having received written notice thereof, which
written notice shall specify in reasonable detail such
gross
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negligence as well as the steps required by
C&C to be taken by BCG or Bird as applicable to cure such gross
negligence;
(iii) Bird shall be convicted of or
plead nolo contendere to (or otherwise not contest allegations of)
any crime of moral turpitude or shall engage in alcohol or
prescription drug abuse or use any illegal drugs; or
(iv) BCG or Bird shall fail to be in
material compliance with either the Bylaws, Code of Business
Conduct and Ethics or Corporate Governance Guidelines of C&C
and shall fail to cure such failure within thirty (30) days
after having received